Shimla

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Saturday announced that women will now be inducted into the Fire Services, saying the Himachal Pradesh government is giving “top priority” to women empowerment.

Speaking at the 63rd Raising Day of the Himachal Pradesh Home Guards and Civil Defence here, Sukhu said recruitment to the force will begin shortly and amendments to the recruitment rules will be introduced to enable the entry of women into the Fire Services.

He added that maternity leave benefits have already been extended to women home guards to ensure job security and support during maternity.

Congratulating personnel of the Home Guards, Civil Defence, Fire Services and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), the chief minister said the forces carried out 708 search-and-rescue operations during the year, saving 448 lives, according to an official statement.

The operations also helped protect property worth ₹2,000 crore from damage, it said, adding that the Home Guards and Fire Services have also restored 1,035 water bodies.

Sukhu honoured several units and personnel for exceptional service, and said the government is working to further strengthen the Department of Home Guards and Civil Defence.

According to the statement, four new fire stations have been established at Deha, Ubadesh, Nerwa and Indora during the present tenure. The state has procured 27 new fire tenders and sanctioned 150 posts for their operation this year.

The government has allocated ₹55 crore under the Fire Services Modernisation Scheme, while the SDRF has been equipped with advanced gear worth ₹6 crore, including drones for aerial surveys and monitoring disaster-prone regions to boost preparedness.

A ‘Safe Himachal’ demonstration, featuring fire-fighting and search-and-rescue mock drills, was also presented.

Additional Director General Satwant Atwal Trivedi said the Home Guards and Fire Services have organised nearly 11,000 mock drills and 3,000 awareness camps, training around two lakh citizens.

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During the event, the chief minister launched the ‘Miracle of Mind’ mobile app, developed in collaboration with the Isha Foundation, to strengthen anti-drug awareness efforts.